Duke of Cambridge calls for an end to 'stiff upper lip' culture over mental health

The Duke of Cambridge speaking to Lady Gaga via FaceTime at Kensington Palace, as the Duke called for an end to the "stiff upper lip" culture, saying he wants Prince George and Princess Charlotte to be able to talk about their emotions. (Image: Heads Together campaign/PA Wire)

William, who with his brother Harry and the Duchess of Cambridge have championed the Heads Together campaign, has has called for an end to the "stiff upper lip" culture, saying he wants Prince George and Princess Charlotte to be able to talk about their emotions.

Speaking from Kensington Palace to Lady Gaga at her home in Hollywood, William told the singer many of the issues he had seen from his work with veterans, homelessness and addiction charities stemmed from mental health issues.

And he praised her bravery in revealing through an open letter last year that she lives with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Lady Gaga said her changing mental health had "changed my life" and she had been "very nervous at first" speaking about it.

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Lady Gaga and Prince William teamed up for the live broadcast on Facebook (Image: Heads Together campaign/PA Wire)

She said: "For me, waking up every day and feeling sad and going on stage is something that is very hard to describe.

"There is a lot of shame attached to mental illness, you feel like something's wrong with you.

"In my life I go, 'oh my goodness, look at all these beautiful, wonderful things that I have, I should be so happy', but you can't help it if in the morning when you wake up you are so tired, you are so sad, you are so full of anxiety and the shakes that you can barely think.

"It was like saying, 'this is a part of me and that's OK'."

Lady Gaga said talking more openly about mental health would allow people dealing with it to feel like "we are not hiding any more".

She said: "Even though it was hard, (it was) the best thing that could come out of my mental illness was to share it with other people and let our generation, as well as other generations, know that if you are feeling not well in your mind that you're not alone and that people that you think would never have a problem, do.

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"We have to make the strongest, most relentless attempt we can to normalise mental health issues, so that people feel like they can come forward."

Prince Harry opened up about this own struggles to the Dailiy Telegraph (Image: Arthur Edwards/The Sun/PA Wire)

William added: "It's OK to have this conversation, it's really important to have this conversation and that you won't be judged.

"It's so important to break open that fear and that taboo which is only going to lead to more problems down the line."

It comes after Prime Minister Theresa May praised Prince Harry for his bravery in revealing that he sought counselling to come to terms with the death of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

Harry, who was 12 when his mother was killed in a car crash in Paris, has revealed that it too him until his late 20s to process his grief.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Harry, 32, said he spent nearly 20 years "not thinking" about her death and eventually got help after two years of "total chaos".

He admitted shutting down his emotions after losing his mother had "a quite serious effect on not only my personal life but my work as well", and that he eventually sought help after his brother told him he needed to deal with his feelings.

Princess Diana and Prince Harry, 1995

Responding to his comments, Mrs May said: "Mental health problems affect people of all ages and all backgrounds.

"The bravery of those in public positions who speak out about their experiences helps smash the stigma around mental health and will help thousands of people to realise they are not alone.

"If we are to tackle this injustice, we must forge a new approach that recognises our responsibility to each other, and make mental illness an everyday concern for all of us and in every one of our institutions."

A senior clinician at Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, which runs mental health and community service also praised Prince Harry - and his brother - for their comments.

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Dr James Clarke, service lead for the Trust’s Psychological Wellbeing Service, said their comments would help others to realise they are not alone, and reduce the stigma around mental health issues.

“As a Trust which provides mental health services it is always a massive positive when high profile figures such as Prince William and Prince Harry open up about issues involving mental health," he said.

"Their comments will provide great comfort for those who find themselves in a similar position and I am sure will encourage people to come forward and get the help they need.

“We know that mental ill-health will affect one in four people and their comments will help continue to reduce the stigma which still exists.

“I hope this will encourage anyone affected by depression, anxiety and stress, who is registered with a GP in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, to refer themselves directly to our Psychological Wellbeing Service.”

Heads Together, an umbrella organisation for mental health charities, is the London Marathon's charity of the year, and on Tuesday William will attend a screening of BBC documentary Mind Over Marathon, which follows a group of runners affected by mental health as they prepare for the race.

The Duke and Duchess and Harry, who hope the race will be known as "the mental health marathon", will hand out medals on the finish line in the Mall on Sunday